My First Million I built a billion dollar company in 18 months
1174 snips
Aug 20, 2025 
In this conversation, Eric Glyman, co-founder of Ramp and former Paribus CEO, discusses how he built a billion-dollar company in just 18 months. He shares insights on navigating rapid growth amidst the pandemic and the complexities of credit card processing. The talk also touches on the evolution of banking and the cultural differences in American credit practices. Eric candidly reflects on the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship, including managing imposter syndrome and the importance of integrity in business.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
The 18-Month Unicorn Conversation
- Eric Glyman recounts a real conversation where he and his co-founders set a goal to build a billion-dollar company in 18 months.
- They incorporated in March 2019 and reached unicorn valuation in 2021, under two years from incorporation.
Fast Revenue Plus Market Multiples Scales Valuation
- Ramp hit near a $10M run rate within its first year and reached an $8.1B valuation by end of 2021.
- Rapid revenue growth combined with market multiples produced an outsized valuation even before $100M ARR.
Who Keeps Card Interchange And Why
- Card issuers make most revenue from interchange because they take credit risk and cover operational costs.
- Payment processors collect gross fees but net margins are usually a small fraction of gross merchant fees.
